Fidji Simo grew up in the French village of Sète, the daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter of fishermen. “Feeding others,” she says, “has always been part of my family’s DNA.” As the CEO of Instacart, she continues that tradition—although she took a rather different path to get there. The first member of her family to graduate high school, she studied at HEC Paris and the Anderson School of Management at UCLA, and her career took her to eBay and then to Facebook, where she oversaw the Facebook App. She cofounded the nonprofit Women in Product and the healthcare-focused Metrodora, became president of the Metrodora Foundation, and last August, just a few months shy of her 36th birthday, took the reins at Instacart.
“I was never fascinated by technology for technology’s sake,” she says of her rise through Silicon Valley. “Instead, I was passionate about seeing how technology could help enhance many aspects of our lives. Every step of the way, I’ve seen the power that technology has—when it’s used the right way—to solve big problems and help make our day-to-day lives a lot better.”
On her decision to join Instacart:
“Food has been at the center of just about every important moment in my life. I don’t think there is anything more inspiring or noble than helping put food on someone’s table. I’m also incredibly passionate about the work we’re doing—alongside hundreds of retailers and thousands of brands—to collectively reinvent the future of food and simplify how consumers get the food they need from retailers they love and trust. The grocery industry is in the midst of a massive digital transformation, and Instacart has an incredible opportunity to help these generational grocery companies compete with disruptors and thrive.”
On the reasons online grocery shopping is here to stay:
“Over the course of the last two years, more consumers than ever before have made online grocery shopping part of the rhythm of their household. We saw it clearly in the record number of orders placed on our platform in 2021, and we believe those habits are here to stay. People know that for the times they need it, online grocery exists—and they’re going to expect it to be an option wherever they choose to shop. The days of a grocer not offering e-commerce are behind us. However, as with every other category of commerce, in-store commerce will remain very important, which is why Instacart’s role is not limited to online delivery. We also want to help retailers with their in-store technology needs, as we believe consumers will expect a full omnichannel experience, from in-store to pickup to delivery. That’s why we bought Caper AI, a smart-cart company that allows grocers to let consumers bypass checkout in their stores. We think the in-store experience will continue to evolve as new technologies emerge, and we want to be grocers’ best ally in helping them navigate this technology landscape across all channels.”
On being a supportive leader:
“I try to focus on practicing abundant, generous leadership. Operating with abundance is about leading, observing, and responding in a way that makes people know that you have their back so that they can reach their full potential. As a leader, my job is to recognize the potential in people and set them up for success: helping them navigate different challenges, trusting them to find the best solution, supporting them when they take risks. Seeing people rise to the occasion in a way that they didn’t think was possible is one of the most rewarding parts of my job.”
On the importance of diversity in the workplace:
“There is a plethora of data that all say the same thing: Diverse teams have an edge. And incredible women are out there—they’re just not given a chance. For me, bringing more diverse perspectives and backgrounds to any team is an incredibly important part of what makes teams and companies successful. But I would extend diversity beyond gender and race; we need teams that bring different backgrounds and perspectives to the table, with people who complement each other. The worst thing I could do as a CEO is to surround myself with people who think like me.”
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